Gone But Not Forgotten

Davy…Connor…Sean… Three brothers who have conquered their demons, but they’ve never forgotten their long lost brother, Kev, whom they believed to be dead. When the McCloud brothers discover Kev is alive, they won’t rest until they find him...

Beaten and tortured almost to death, Kev Larsen was found eighteen years earlier in a warehouse alley. He survived his brutal ordeal, but his memories before that night were completely erased. When he nearly dies from trying to save someone from drowning, the brain surgery he has to save his life triggers fragmented, terrifying memories. With only these memories and the name of his torturer to guide him, Kev is determined to unlock the secrets to his past.

Edie Parrish has always been good at not letting anyone get too close to her. If someone were to learn of her unusual gift, her life would be immediately jeopardized. But when Kev Larsen discovers who she really is, Edie has only one choice: to trust him. And soon, Edie can’t resist her consuming desire for him—even though she knows she’ll have to pay a price for it.

Now Kev and Edie must race against time and place their faith in each other to stop a deadly legacy...

Title: FADE TO MIDNIGHT
Author: Shannon McKenna
Series: McCloud Brothers, book 7
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Year of release: 2010, June 1
Format: 1st Edition Hardcover
Source: Received a copy of the book from the publisher for review

First line:
I am f#cked. (chose to go with first line of chapter 1 instead of flashback-ish prologue)

Memorable Scene:
- The scene in the motel when Edie and Kev are on the run from the bad guys > impressive in every way and the epitome of what I love about McKenna's writing

I need to state upfront that it took me three starts and Kev and Edie to finally get on one page together and meet for me to finally be hooked by this 7th installment of the McCloud Brothers series but when I got there I was totally and utterly hooked. And I was glad I didn’t give up on it in those first 50-100 pages.

Kev(in)McCloud aka Kev Larsen is a daredevil. He’s fearless, arrogant and masterful. Through his characterization and the writing I could feel his despair to remember who he was and all the stuff from his past. There were moments where I thought Kev was a bit too obsessed and going too fast with Edie but these moments were scarce and were also immediately negated by the fact that Kevin would acknowledge (through internal thoughts) the craziness of his feelings and the speed they came about. However that didn’t take away that sometimes I wanted him to be a bit less crazy with his obsession.

Edie Parrish is a graphic novel artist. She’s quiet, shy, artistic, creative and a little tongue-tied. She has a special psychic gift, brought on by the cognitive enhancement experiments done on her in her youth. Edie was awesome. I found her a much stronger heroine that most other heroines in this series and a perfect match for Kev. She developed as a character throughout the first part of the story as she became more mouthy, which IMO was triggered by Kev. I adored the bits where she'd go off on him and yell at him, argue with him and challenge him.

Both Kev and Edie have their flaws but those are also what make them strong and memorable characters that totally fit the rest of this book.

The secondary characters were a mix of old familiar ones (of course Kev’s family members and their spouses) and new intriguing ones like Kev’s adoptive family, especially Bruno but I’ll get back to him later, and Alex Aaro whom I hope will get his own story too.
So about Bruno…He immediately caught my eye as Kev’s foster brother and at one point in the book I was really afraid that McKenna was going to kill him off in the book. Luckily she didn’t because I learned that he’s the hero in the next McKenna book (BLOOD AND FIRE) that’s coming soon. YAY!

Oh almost forgot about another secondary character that really needs a mention: Tam!! It’s known that she is my favorite female in this series. I unapologetically confess my love for her in all the reviews of the McCLoud Brothers books and in FADE TO MIDNIGHT she rocked it even harder. I loved her in this book. LOVED! I also wish I could quote pages 432 and 433 in their entirety to show exactly what I love about her and Shannon McKenna's writing and characterization. But I cannot do that because it would be too extensive and also it would be too spoiler-y. So all I can say is, if you have the book and plan to read it, pay attention to pages 432 and 433.

Shannon McKenna's villains are evil and twisted geniuses and the ones in FADE TO MIDNIGHT fit the bill perfectly. The female villain is depraved too and she really gave me the shivers...and not in a good way. As usual when reading McKenna's villains I was shivering in horror yet undeniably fascinated. The neuroscience stuff went a little above my head at times but as I really enjoyed the suspense and romance it didn't really bother me and I didn't go out of my way to try and understand or make sense of it all.

The way McKenna writes the suspense plots in this series is awesome. Not only the ones in the individual books but also the ongoing overall plot of Kev's disappearance that was there in some way or form in all the books, with a (logically) more in depth look in Sean's book (EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). They are all brilliantly set up. Some (many?) may find McKenna's suspense (and romance) over the top and too much but I love it. In FADE TO MIDNIGHT, like in all the other McCloud books I gobbled it up and relished in the intense reading experience.

The suspense in FADE TO MIDNIGHT, even though I was privy to much more stuff than the characters, still was nail-biting and kept me on the edge of my seat as I was anxiously looking forward to the moment where everything would come together and the villains would get what was coming to them.

FADE TO MIDNIGHT was emotional, humorous and hot. With its intense hero, amazing heroine, awesome secondary characters, heinous villains and excellent suspense it fit the rest of the books in the series perfectly and I’m sad to see the end of this story arc in the series which I enjoyed to the fullest ever since reading the first sentence of BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

Favorite Quotes:
She reached back, struggling with the fastenings of her shabby white bra. Wishing she had a seductive scrap of silk and lace on. At least the boobs themselves were acceptable, as boobs went. “Who said anything about helping?” She flung the bra onto the sweater, chest out, shoulders back. Displaying herself. Ta da. Take that buddy. Tit power.

“Thank you,” she replied. Her face was so hot, she felt feverish. “The compliments are just super-nice, and I appreciate you being so sweet, but the buildup is driving me crazy. If you don’t kiss me now, I will grab a fork and stab you with it. Or else faint from lack of oxygen.
His laugh rang out, loud and happy. Then he seized her.
The kiss sprang into being fully formed. No lead in, no awkward fumbling, no slow, graceful merging. Just all the sudden, they were twined together as if they has always been, locked into a greedy, devouring clinch like they were starving to get inside each other.

She smiled, her eyes flashing timidly down to his tireless tentpole of a dick. “Are you, ah, cold?
He was a blast furnace. His dick was going to be in a state of permanent inflammation, now that it knew that Edie Parrish existed.

He’d never dreamed how deep it could cut. How hot it could burn. He was wide open to her now. She could slide those slender, cool fingers in between his ribs, grab his heart, and squeeze it out of existence. And he didn’t care. He’d found his angel, She was his. Or more precisely, he was hers. And he was cooked.

Kev dragged her up onto his lap and hugged her. Tears ran down her face, and she was completely unembarrassed. It was good, it was fine. It was wonderful. The she kissed his face, and found it wet.
Her heart opened so wide, she thought it would break, become something she never knew a heart could be. Vast and pure and fearless.

“Your brother catered a surprise meal for us?”
He shrugged. “He desperately wants to get me laid. He thinks that getting laid is the solution to any man’s problems. Common cold? Get laid. Ingrown hairs? Get laid. Pursued by an angry billionaire? Get laid.”

He lay there afterward, shaking. Every time they made love, he felt more naked. More out of control. Carrying on like a crazed barbarian warlord, waving his dick around like a club. But it was all bullshit. The power dynamic between them was brutally clear.
He was on his knees to her. She owned his ass.

“You’re aware of what this will cost me, right? Kev will redesign my skeleton. I’ll be short a head, or missing a couple of limbs the next time you see me. And I loved being bilaterally symmetrical (Bruno to Edie)

BEWARE! This review may contain some mild spoilers if you haven’t read the previous McCloud books.







Back Cover:
THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Covert operations are what Val Janos is all about. The man is mysterious and sinister, and lethally hot. Only Tamara can understand the strange intensity that drives him to win at all costs—and only she can match it.
Val has one weak spot: Imre, the frail old man who befriended him when he was a scared, hungry kid abandoned on the streets of Budapest. But Daddy Novak knows about Imre, and Imre’s head is on the block if Val doesn’t deliver Tam up to Novak’s tender mercies . . .
A white-hot passion explodes when Tam and Val get too close. They both have too much to be afraid of, too much to hide. And now, for the first time, too much to lose . . .

Tam Steele, a criminal who is making a living as a designer of (literally) killer jewelry, does everything she can to give her three-year-old adoptive daughter, Rachel, an orphan rescued from black market organ harvesters, a seemingly normal life. Little does she know her past is going to catch up with her. Mafia boss Daddy Novak wants revenge for the loss of his son and coerces Val Janos into delivering Tam to him in exchange for the life of Val's former mentor and foster father Imre. But Novak's former lackey and psychopath Georg Luksch, has hired Val to bring Tam to him so he can live happily ever after with her in his distorted reality where he believes Tam belongs to him. Val however decides to betray both "clients" and tries to help Tam and Rachel escape this nightmare. Under constant threat Tam and Val discover that it's not easy staying out of the clutches of two mobsters out for blood and at the same time deal with the growing emotional bond between the two of them.

Tam Steele does her name proud. Nothing gets to her. She is sharp, sarcastic and despite her disguises what you see is what you get with her. She has no weaknesses, no mercy, and no compassion. At least that's what she wants people to think. Since one of her rare selfless missions ended her up with battered and abused Rachel, she's not so sure anymore. And when she starts falling for the man sent after her by men from her past, that's when things get even more messed up.

Val Janos is the ultimate operative in covert operations. He can blend into any circumstance and has the looks to wrap any woman around his finger. Until he's hired to bring in Tam Steele by one mafia kingpin and threatened by another to deliver her to him. He throws caution overboard and goes for the woman he wants with all he has in him. Val is tough, tenacious, enigmatic, gorgeous and intriguing. He is the perfect match for Tam.

Tam blew me away. She really did. I actually and honestly didn't like her in the first two books of the series. I started liking her a little bit in Davy's book (OUT OF CONTROL) and the deal was sealed when I read the end of EXTREME DANGER, the book before this one. Of all the McKenna heroines she is the toughest one and she has to be the most complex one. She is strong and vulnerable at the same time. Covering her vulnerability with lashing out, detachment and sarcasm. She is a true contradiction. One the outside she's tough and emotionless. But inside, especially with her daughter, she's a compassionate woman yearning for a kindred spirit. Her feelings towards Rachel and how she cares for Rachel, broke my heart from the beginning and in those moments I saw the Tam who was hidden deep inside, the Tam she would only let come out in the darkest of the night, when no one would see or hear her fall apart.

In a review of a previous McCloud book I said I was curious as to who would be the man to tame Tamara and Val satisfied this curiosity fully and exceeded my expectations. But make no mistake; Tam is by no means tamed. No one man is able to do that. Rachel made a start in thawing Tam's ice-cold heart, leaving her susceptible to Val's attack on her defenses. Val is the one who delivers the deciding blow to Tam's robot bitch persona with his gentleness and his patience, showing her that there is a man out there who can handle her. He certainly is a man strong enough, both mentally and physically, to attract Tam's attention and hold it, as no man has ever been able to. He has managed to capture her heart but he also accentuates and stimulates the kick-ass, tough-as-nails woman Tam will always be.

Tam and Val are so much alike it's scary and at the same time it's the only way to create a HEA of for Tam. She couldn't make do with a sugary, docile man. She needed a strong man, not willing to take her crap and powerful enough to chase away the ghosts haunting her. Their pasts have parallels and their common enemies connect their present. They are both hardened by life and disappointed by people who should've protected them. And, before falling for each other, they're both convinced that the part inside them for love and tenderness was broken long ago, but it wasn't. It was just hidden, waiting for the right person.

Secondary characters were either the bad guys and their subordinates or the McCloud Crowd, as Tam lovingly calls them.
Where in the previous books the bad guys were usually pairs divided into the strong driving character and the other more subservient one doing the dirty jobs. In this one two former secondary bad guys who were in the background, work independently from each other, each with their own agenda but both out for either Tam’s or Val's blood.
It was wonderful to catch some glimpses of the McClouds, their wives, and their babies and of course Seth and Nick. There roles weren't big but when they were needed they were there and came through with flying colors for Tam, Rachel and Val.

With the previous two books Shannon McKenna lured me into thinking I knew where she was going with the story, because I'm familiar with her books and the way she plots now. Still out of nowhere she hit me with twists and turns I never saw coming. She set up a plot of which I in the beginning I was wondering where it was going. How was she going to get this together, it seemed impossible and if possible it would surely be an unbelievable plot? But she made me swallow my doubting thoughts because bit by bit it became clear and she blew me away with character-developments that were too out there to be real, but pulled it of. She ambushed me with love scenes that are in-your-face-real, raw and sensual that they leave no room for mushy romance, only bone-deep passion. She took my breath away with the nerve racking suspense and nail biting action scenes and she sealed the deal with a tear-inducing conclusion that was right up my romantic alley but still did justice to the tough Tam I've come to know and love.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for Tam's story. Everything came together. Loose ends from previous books were tied together and I have a distinct feeling this part of the McCloud-saga, has come to a conclusion with Tam's HEA. Despite the raw, dark, primal vibe this book had McKenna has delivered again! There isn't a thing she can't tackle and do well in this series. Because if there was one character least likely to have an HEA, it was Tam. The way McKenna pulled this of was nothing but genial.

She gave me a heart wrenching and believable story that was Tam-worthy from the first to the last page. It did her justice and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. She kept me riveted to the pages with a first class erotic romantic suspense story that threw me wide open. Every scene is emotionally charged to the fullest, occasionally not even giving me time to breathe before being plunged into the next wave of emotions. With each book in this series McKenna manages to amaze me more. When you think you've read her best, with the next book she takes it up another notch and leaves you wondering what else she's going to overwhelm you with the next time.

With ULTIMATE WEAPON Shannon McKenna does what she does best, mixing emotions with eroticism and suspense to make your heart stop. I hope she'll keep doing it for a long time.

Quotes:
The McCloud Crowd men folk were relatively intelligent, as men went, but they were all alpha dogs to the last woof, and as such, they all had that fog of testosterone obscuring their brains. Which made them prone to the usual arrogant, posturing male bullshit, for which she had no time or patience.

She wanted the life-giving elixir of his kisses, she wanted to wander through the boundless wilderness of him, to get lost in him. She wanted to devour him, soak him up, drink him in. She wanted to be devoured.

Back Cover:
Nobody's home at the millionaire's estate on remote Frakes Island. And nobody seems to be watching. Becca Cantrell dives in for an illicit midnight skinnydip--and gets hauled out by a towering, hard-muscled guy with burning dark eyes. He seems to be in charge. Good. The man is the embodiment of her most intense fantasies. And she's up for risky thrills . . .

Nick Ward can't tell her that he's spying on a vicious Russian crime boss. Becca could be his worst enemy: an assassin sent to kill him, a call girl sent to distract him, or the worst scenario of all--a clueless innocent. Anyway he looks at it, she's trouble: beautiful, bare, dripping-wet trouble. The kind he can't resist.
She's not scared. After one taste of his hot mouth, Becca soon discovers just how fearless she can be. She'll need it, too--because things are about to explode on Frakes Island, launching Becca and Nick into danger they could never have imagined--and a passion that could destroy them both.

Rebecca (Becca) Cattrell never thought her skinny-dipping in a stranger's pool after fleeing from a cheating fiancé, would land her in a heart pounding adventure where she would have to fight for her life and the life of her family.
Her sudden appearance during Nick Ward's rogue undercover operation to infiltrate an eastern European mafia kingpin is the start of a string of events Nick never could have imagined. His immediate attraction to her is an unwanted development and complication because the lives of innocent children are at stake and with his track record he can't afford any distractions.

Becca sees herself as a goodie two-shoes. She thinks she's just an average non-adventurous kind of girl. But to me she was the perfect mix of innocent determination, sassy defiance and intelligent bravery. She hasn't had an easy life and still has tried to make the best of it as well as she can taking care of her brother and sister and sacrificing her own needs for theirs.
She was again a typical McKenna heroine, giving Nick hell in the emotional department by tumbling into his world and turning it upside down.

I'm sure now that McKenna is trying to fry my brains with an overdose of intense, dominating and scrumptious alpha men. Nick is cynical to the bone and the ultimate hero complete with the tattoos and the battle scars. He's tough and ice-cold but when in the hands of the right woman, in his case Becca, he's a goner. Lost to lust, passion and love, even if he's convinced he isn't capable of such a thing.

Becca and Nick's dialogues match their sexual encounters. They sizzle, they're intense and they're invigorating. I loved the scene where they had to cook for the bad guy of the book, Zhoglo.
I know I'm repeating myself but with each book McKenna manages to repulse me more with the bad guy in it. In this case the intentions of the bad guy could turn readers away since it involves children but she manages to pull it of in a way that was acceptable for me because of how the plot unfolds. But still Zohglo's plans sent horrifying chills running up and down my spine.

This installment of the series had a slightly different vibe to it. The undertone of humor and sarcasm was much more present than in the other books and I think it's because of Nick and Becca's personalities and backgrounds. They both use sarcasm as protection and humor and laughter as a mechanism to cope with difficult things. This gave the book its special vibe distinguishing it from the previous installments. But don't think now that it was all humor and laughter in this book. It was just as intense and thrilling as the other books in the series; the different vibe in the humor just gave it something extra that caught my eye.

The characters and some ongoing secondary plotlines link all the books in the McCloud series but every book is unique both in main characters and main plot. Despite the consistent and amazingly intense writing style and the way McKenna ignites a wide range of emotions, every book stands out on its own with distinctive and unequaled characters, scorching and emotionally charged love scenes and original one-of-a-kind plots including the breath hitching and gut churning moments.

I'm truly enjoying everything McKenna throws at me. From the heart-thudding action to the intense romance to the spine-tingling eroticism. I hope she'll continue to deliver these intense and erotic masterpieces for a long time to come. With the ending of this one I'm itching to get my hands on Tam's book, which will come out next.

Quotes:
The contact was electric. As if every individual nerve was being kissed, loved. The slow, slick stroke of flesh against flesh was the sum of all those uncountable tiny caresses, all those little tender exchanges.

He knew exactly how a guy sweet-talked women into sex, how to be suave and seductive, blah blah, but he was a slavering wolf thing tonight, lunging at the chain. No games, no charm

Back cover:
Shannon McKenna creates characters readers never forget--and in her latest novel, Sean McCloud must protect the woman he has never stopped loving: Liv Endicott. Years ago, Sean had to send Liv Endicott away to save her life. Now he has to keep her closer, very close--for the same reason . . .

THE BREAKING POINT
On the very day an arsonist burns down Liv's bookstore in a small town in the Washington mountains, she finds fate has another shock in store for her. Amid the smoke, rubble and tears, Sean McCloud appears, calling her name. He's every inch the man he always was--the man she kept on wanting. But wanting is not the same as trusting, and she doesn't dare let him get too close. Yet a ruthless killer is gunning for Liv, and she'll die unless they join forces to unearth a chilling truth--and come together in a blaze of searing passion . . .


I was only able to write this review after picking myself up from the melted puddle I turned into while reading this book. Sean McCloud’s story didn't just tug on my heartstrings; it ripped them out with the force of a heat-seeking missile. This is one of the few times a book leaves me in total awe, not able to get my brain cells to form a coherent thought. It was an experience I won't soon forget.

It had all of the things I like about McKenna's books and then some more just to dazzle me. And she really took me by surprise this time. Toning things down in Davy's book (the one preceding this one) just to deliver the fatal blow with Sean. Easygoing, womanizing, bantering, provoking and teasing Sean who turned out to be one heck of a hero. He had me laughing and crying at the same time.
And he had a heroine to match because Olivia “Liv” Endicott rocked it! She's my favorite McKenna heroine to date.

I'm really enjoying the change and development McKenna's heroines have gone through compared to the first two books in this series. While Raine and Erin had to grow throughout the book into the strong and determined women they were deep down, Margot and Liv kick right into gear from the very start and don't take any nonsense from their McClouds.

Liv was the fierce, sassy and brave heroine who knew how to save herself when needed. She doesn't let anyone get the better of her and takes everything in stride: her parents, her life, her stalker and even Sean. She is the only woman who could turn Sean into a caveman going for his woman with the subtlety of a rabid bull. If I hadn't been sitting down while reading, I would have gone to my knees at these scenes.
But it was so much more than Sean and Liv.

It was the plot which was so fast-paced and action-packed I couldn't let go of the book until I finished it. And when I was finished I felt both satisfied and sad. It was an amazing read, but it was over. No more Liv, no more Sean, no more Tam, no more Davy and Connor, no more Miles and Cindy. No more blood chilling evil mad scientist and his crazy assassin.

McKenna is a master at plotting. She moves, shuffles, spins and turns secondary plots and characters until they form a perfectly connected whole, coming together with the primary plot in a heartrending, nail biting and tear jerking concluding climax. There were so many scenes that touched my senses. Whether they were funny, sad, antagonizing or just plain scorching hot, every scene did something to me and that's exactly how I like my reads.

To say I loved this book is the understatement of the century. This ultimate combination of erotic romance and suspense was the best McCloud book for me yet! The characters (both primary and secondary), the dialogues, the interactions and dynamic between the characters, the love scenes (Man! The love scenes...), the suspense plot, the secondary storylines, it all fit together like pieces of a perfect puzzle. The plot twist at the end has me confused and curious. Could it really be? No! McKenna is really not going there, is she?

And it was the secondary characters that complemented the plot and main characters to a tee.
The McCloud brothers were plenty present in this installment, giving Sean the backup he needed, but also putting him in his place when needed. It was great to have a look in the lives of the McClouds with their wives. The verbal fights, I can hardly call it conversations, between Sean and his brothers and Miles were hilarious and had me laughing out loud. McKenna knows how to do brotherly bantering, teasing and lecturing like no one else. But you could also feel the love between them. It oozes from practically every scene with more than one McCloud in it.

The secondary storyline of Cindy and Miles that started in Connor's book (STANDING IN THE SHADOWS) takes a nice turn in this one and I hope it will be continued in the following books of this series. Though I still think Cindy is a bit too shallow and superficial McKenna has done an excellent job in giving her more depth but it's doubtful she will turn out to be heroine material. Hence the secondary storyline I guess.

But you never know, who would have guessed Tam was going to have her own book when she first appeared in the series? Not me.
Speaking of Tam. All the secondary characters were great but she was amazing. Where in the previous books she just made brief but memorable appearances in this one she caught and really held my attention. Tough as nails but you feel the hurt and vulnerability underneath. I can't wait to read her book to see who is going to be the man able to tame her alpha, take-no-prisoners, and cynical personality.

Liv's mother annoyed the daylights out of me. Really she was so antagonizing I wanted to take that woman out of the pages and strangle her until she would just shut up. She is the classic example of the terrible, stuck up, interfering mother in law.
And the villains, I thought Marcus and Faris (from OUT OF CONTROL, previous book) were bad, well they were nothing next to Chris and Gordon, who literally made my stomach turn with some of their actions. McKenna’s bad guys are really frightening and I would love to pick her brain on where she comes up with them and their horrible intentions.

It was also the love scenes that were so steamy I'm considering using this book as my personal heater during cold winter nights. I thought with reading Elizabeth Amber and Lora Leigh I had broadened my sexual horizon quite a bit, but in comes McKenna and stretches it just a bit more
Now McKenna is known for her extremely hot and erotic scenes but there was one love scene with acts I haven't encountered anywhere else. Nothing depraved or weird, just new to me and totally different. Her books should come with a warning of spontaneous combustion.

I hate to use clichés but Shannon McKenna rules! She's superior in the erotic romantic suspense genre and leaves all others behind. She has been on auto-buy before I even read a single book by her hand, just her back cover blurbs and excerpts did it for me and that proves my book-buying instincts work splendidly and I should always trust them when I'm ordering my books.

Quotes:
Miles and Sean
"This might come as a shock to you, but some people actually do things for reasons which are not specifically aimed at obtaining sex."
Sean widened his eyes. "Really? It worries me to hear a healthy twenty-five-year-old male say stuff like that. Either you're ill, you're pathologically screwed in the head, you're a closet gay, or you're lying."

Davy to Sean
"If you get in trouble tonight, I'm going to rip off one of your arms and beat the shit out of you with it," he warned.

Rating: 10 out of 10

In Behind Closed Doors and Standing in the Shadows, Shannon McKenna introduced the McCloud Brothers: intense, rugged, super-sexy, and deliciously sensual. Now, Davy McCloud is about to meet a woman he can't trust--or live without . . .


Disillusioned P.I Davy McCloud has learned the hard way not to follow blind impulse when it comes to women. He'd rather
play it safe, and keep his life simple, calm and uncomplicated. But he's prepared to make an exception when Margot Vetter shows up to teach at the gym next door. The luscious, mysterious woman stirs a hunger he hasn't felt in a long time, as well as a fierce protectiveness he can't quite explain, especially when her background check reveals she's hiding secrets--secrets of the ugly, deadly kind.



Margot is at the end of her rope. It's bad enough that she's broke and on the run, framed for a murder she didn't commit. Now, she's being terrorized by a malevolent stalker. The only person she dares to turn to is buff, scarily gorgeous Davy McCloud, a man who seems like nothing on earth could intimidate him. But Davy has questions of his own, and the closer she gets to him, the more Margot discovers that she can't hold herself back from this enigmatic, sensual man in any way.

Neither of them expected passion to flare this quickly--or to drag them into a danger as real as their love. Margot's past has finally caught up with her. And for Davy McCloud, life is about to get more than complicated . . .It's turning deadly. .


From the moment Davy McCloud sets eye on Margot Vetter (Margaret Callahan) he knows he's looking at trouble and we're not only talking about a Margot being framed for murder, stalked by some crazy assassin and his manipulative brother who's seeking power and world-domination.
Davy knows his life, always on a tight and controlled leash, is going to be turned upside down by the strong and willful Margot.
Margot has never gone for the big, silent dominant types but Davy stirs something in her that makes her change her mind about that. When they pair up to tackle the problems in Margot's life they both discover that those problems are the least of their worries compared to the emotional thunderstorm they unleash in each other.

Margot is smart-mouthed, compassionate and a very different type of heroine compared to the previous books. She's out there, strong and willful from the very beginning.

Davy is the most quiet of the McCloud brothers. But there is so much more to him. He is the responsible one, the one that never lets down his guard, the one to keep everything and everyone together. The responsibilities bestowed upon him ever since he was a small boy don't permit him to let go and feel what he wants and needs to feel, to allow his control to make room for caring about anyone but his brothers. He's definitely as tormented as the other McCloud brothers by their weird upbringing, if not to say even more tormented because of him being the eldest boy. He doesn't waste words or time on pleasantries, humor or fun. He's very intense and dominant, but Margot doesn't bow down to him, she gives as good as she gets, even it means putting herself out there to be hurt.
Margot takes his control away and forces him to feel and care. He fights this with all he can but it's a losing battle. She rips him wide open and leaves him vulnerable like he's never been ever before.

Davy and Margot are perfect for each other. They have so many similarities and yet they are so different. Each one able to bring out unwanted emotions, they long for deep inside, in the other. They are straightforward, open, direct and honest. But where Margot is light-hearted and has an amazing ability to bounce back and go for it all, Davy is stern and silent, thinking that as long as every emotion is under control, nothing can go wrong and nobody gets hurt.
They both push each other's buttons, both consciously as well as unintentional, making each other feel and say things they don't want to. They ignite feelings in each other that scare them both. They both have control issues, however their motives for wanting control and exert dominance are very different.

The "bad-guys" in this book were absolutely evil and terrifyingly scary.
In every one of her books I've read so far there's been something McKenna amazes me with. In this one it was her knack for writing psychopaths to the teeth, life-like psychopaths such as Marcus and Faris. The way she describes them and their motives, the way she describes Faris' thought patterns, left me awestruck. I even started to believe in them myself, as horrifying as they were.
Marcus was the true evil one, he is so deranged, depraved it really scared me. He pulls all the strings with his mind games and mind control over Faris. These characters really had me wondering where McKenna comes up with this. At the same time I was admiring her thorough research that gives her books the depth and the compelling characters I like so much.

I got a nice taste of previous main characters with glimpses of Erin, Connor and Raine and a bit more of Seth. But also former secondary characters as Sean, Tamara, Miles and Cindy made an appearance, the one more lingering than the other. Every secondary character performing their supporting roles, giving Margot and Davy the back-up needed and putting them in the spotlight when it counted.

The youngest McCloud, Sean, is very intriguing. The tidbits on him were very promising to say the least. If I go by what I've learned about him in this book and the previous ones, I can't wait to know what is behind his cheerful and happy-go-lucky exterior. As it was, Davy also blew me off my socks turning out to be much more intense than I ever thought.

The intriguing first chapter sets the stage for a true Shannon McKenna book, filled with thrilling suspense, fast-paced action and heart wrenching emotions. Paired up with some steamy erotic scenes I took it all in and savored it.
The suspense plot is set up perfectly, nicely dosed, disclosing small amount of details along the way, building up to a climax that the reader sees coming but still blows you out of the water. The fighting sequences between Davy and Faris are mindboggling and so lifelike I was cringing in my seat while reading them.
The love scenes between Margot and Davy were tantalizing, breathtaking and spine tingling. They portrayed their characters and dilemmas so well they were a true addition to the character-development of both of them.
This book kept me riveted to the pages, not wanting to let go for a single second. Everything was right: the incomparable plot with its mind-blowing conclusion, the strong and well-written characters, both primary and secondary and the heart throbbing romance. It all fit together perfectly.
The end had me goose-bumped and teary-eyed. The balance between plot, character-development and the erotic romance is as I've grown accustomed to by Shannon McKenna: exquisite!

Quotes:
Then she'd strip him naked, rub him down with oil, knock him onto his back and ride him of into the sunset. At a hard gallop.

Sean to Davy about Margot after Davy asks Sean if he's put the moves on her:
"I've tried, sure. Any straight guy with a pulse would try. (…) She just wasn't into me. It's just like when I got that crush on my high school French teacher. She just sort of pats me on the head while I pant and drool."(...)"I think it's you she likes."

The first collection of the super-sexy, beautifully written stories that put Shannon McKenna in the forefront of hot romance!
Shannon McKenna writes blazing hot heroes and her readers know it. Men who are hard and handsome. Potent and protective. And so, so sexy. Ready for real lovers who want to get wild? They're ready for you.
Presenting three of the best . . .


A powerful man on a motorcycle makes a tantalizing promise . . . and a willing woman learns the ultimate lesson in pleasure in SOMETHING WILD

It started out as a not-so-innocent flirtation, but Annie Simon can't resist the powerful man on the motorcycle . . . or his tantalizingly erotic promises. Long-haired and leather-clad, Jacob Kerr is strong, sexy, and determined to give her the ultimate lesson in pleasure, if she's willing. And all she can say is yes . . .

A masterful hotel CEO introduces his lovely date to a suite seduction she'll never forget in MELTDOWN

All Jane Duvall wants is to bag another big account for her headhunting firm, even if it means stealing a key employee right out from under sexy hotel CEO Michael "Mac" MacNamara's gorgeous nose. But Mac can tell that the luscious, elusive Jane is up to no good. He has to find out what game she's playing--even if it involves giving her a very private tour of the hotel's finest suite, where she can take whatever she wants from him--and he'll give her everything he's got in the process . . .

And a sexy billionaire invites a massage therapist to his mountain hideaway for a sensational session just for two . . .in TOUCH ME

Tess Langley's been hurt by love before. That's why the voluptuous brunette prefers to keep her look low-maintenance and concentrate on her work as a massage therapist. She can tell by the scratch marks on gorgeous Jonah Markham’s back that the rich playboy is exactly the sort of man she should avoid, but when he offers to pay her an outrageous sum of money to tend to his guests at his luxurious mountain hideaway, she can't say no. Except Jonah has no intention of sharing Tess with anyone else, and though he's promised to be a good boy, she has no idea just how good he can be . . .

I was going to review this anthology story by story but decided not to since then it would be three reviews with similar things in it so I've decided to combine it all in one review.

First I must start by taking a deep bow and lay myself at Shannon McKenna's feet. She is the queen of erotic romance, the empress of intense emotional characterization be it her brooding, dominant, sexually aggressive and in-your-face heroes or her strong-minded, feisty, take-no-crap-from-men and bring-it-on heroines. I must also admire her for even pulling of making me feel the same intense feelings reading her short stories as I feel reading her full-length books.
Okay that being said of course the full-length books that take it to a much deeper level, having time and pages to work out and deepen out plots and characters but these stories definitely came close, especially MELTDOWN and TOUCH ME.
The men had me panting, all hot and bothered. The women had me sympathizing and rooting. "You go girls...show those men what you're made of but don't hesitate to enjoy the pleasures of a dominant alpha!"

The dominant alpha behavior of the men, both in and out of the bedroom, is perfectly countered by the women's fierce resistance. The men like to be in control but the women show them that you can't control feelings; attraction and you certainly can't control love. The men have a hint of rudeness to them but in a good way. They know what they want and just go for it, no sweet courting but pure and direct seduction...the kind of seduction that makes a women surrender her whole being to them...mind, body and soul. The women don't give in meekly but give as good as they get, stripping the men to their vulnerable core.

Underneath the sexual tension and chemistry a battle of wills takes place in each story, where the main characters tries to fight the hold the other one has on his or her feelings. Along the way their attraction and sexual play and the battle of wills fuse them into a deeper and emotional bond and love. Even though this process goes rather quick (because let's not forget we're talking about short stories) it fit in the stories like a glove due to McKenna's masterful writing skills. McKenna has a magnetic, tantalizing way of describing feelings and sensations, both emotional and sexual.

The stories hardly had any (sub)plots beside the romance between the hero and heroine, the focus is on the main characters and there are few secondary characters. Except for MELTDOWN, the stories are centered on the meeting, the instant chemistry, the sexual and emotional battles and the falling in love of the primary characters, with an occasional mention of people surrounding them.

If I had to rate the three stories separately I would give SOMETHING WILD 3,5 stars, MELTDOWN 4,5 stars and TOUCH ME 4 stars.
This rating reflects the degree in which I liked the stories but also it was MELTDOWN that came the closest to the full-length books' feeling. It had some intriguing secondary characters, a hint of a plot and the MacNamara brothers (Mac and Danny) really give the McCleod brothers a run for their money. This is not an easy task because the McCleod brothers for me are intense, passionate and utterly alpha.

Shannon McKenna is well on her way to making herself indispensable on my bookshelves and even taking a prominent place on them. To say I love her writing style is the understatement of the year. I adore it, I crave it, and I’m on the border of worshipping it.
Even in short stories she manages to keep the intensity, the emotions and the sexual play on a high. Her love scenes make me want to melt in a puddle of lust. They are explicit but beautiful and emotional, layered and just as intense as her heroes, heroines and the stories/plots.

Do I have anything else to say about this book? Oh yeah! Buy it, read it, enjoy it...and let yourself be swept of your feet by Shannon McKenna and her delicious characters and writing.

The Midnight Man
It's been seventeen years since bad boy Simon Riley hopped a freight train out of town and Ellen Kent's given up wondering what happened to him. Running a successful bed and breakfast in Oregon's LaRue River Valley hasn't left her a lot of time for fantasizing about the one who got away. She's put aside her dreams of midnight kisses and secret passion . . . until an unexpected visitor knocks on her door. Simon is back. She had no idea that he was a famous photojournalist, working in war zones around the world. But the man is everything she wants in a lover--and more . . .

The Midnight Hour
Dogged by trouble, Simon swore he'd never return to this backwater town, even to see El Kent. But he had to come back to investigate his uncle's sudden death--and he must face the demons of his past. El's lush beauty still tempts him beyond belief. He knows he can satisfy her most hidden desire, to the point of complete abandonment and total ecstasy. And he's hungry for the sensual tenderness that only she can give--hungry for her.
The last thing Simon would ever do is hurt El, but someone is forcing his hand. Someone who will stop at nothing to keep the past dead and buried--even if it means silencing the woman Simon loves . . .

Simon and Ellen have known each other since they were kids and they were each other's first loves. Circumstances lead to Simon leaving his hometown and Ellen behind but his uncle's death brings him back. In the meantime Ellen is engaged to be married into the town's most influential family but she is not happy and Simon's return leads to not only a reunion of childhood friends but also to the rekindling of a love that was never forgotten. Little do they know that they have a lot to overcome before they can be together.

Simon is a loner, he had a terrible childhood and the only person who cared for him was Ellen and left he her. He is seductive and manly. But he is also endearing in this grieve for his uncle and his feelings for Ellen. His youth was awful and his only link to goodness or comfort was Ellen. Now he's back and he's guilt ridden for leaving Ellen behind all those years ago and for dragging her into his troubles now that he's back.

Ellen is persistent and a bit insecure, which she masks with her compassionate nature, she's caring and determined when she believes in something or someone. She has always had a weakness for Simon and after losing her virginity to him when she was a teenager she knew she would never love anyone as she did him. After Simon left town and her she picks up her life and moves on. When he returns she can't believe he's back to turn her world upside down and she's not ready to forgive him just like that for leaving her.

I love the development of McKenna's heroines. They start rather insecure and sometimes a bit timid but during the book they develop into strong-minded and determined women who don't take any crap from no one, not even the hero. This was definitely the case with Ellen. Her persistence is unstoppable and she manages to show Simon what it's like to be loved and cherished and she convinces him to accept these feelings.

McKenna's heroes are something else! Each one of them (at least of the three books I've read) has had terrible things to deal with and still they have the will to go on and find and accept love from the women in their lives. They are alpha to the bone with just the right amount of dominance to make them into drool-worthy men. This goes for Simon too. Underneath his alpha behavior is a man who's been hurt and rejected so many times he doesn't dare to recognize Ellen's feelings of love as they are meant to be. He thinks she pities him and feels sorry for him and he certainly doesn't think he's worthy of her love.

The secondary characters are equally well written as the main couple. Again their actions are perfectly motivated and meaningful, even those of the less likeable secondary characters. Most of them are not there just to fill the pages but have a genuine and important part in the plot and therefore you get a deeper glimpse of their reasoning and behavior. I love it that McKenna manages to give characters that seem very bad (in the sense of evil) in the beginning means to redeem themselves and they turn out to be more likeable than you think at first. She did this in the first book and again in this book.

The third McKenna book I read again was able to stir my emotions in a big way. Again it was typical McKenna in the sense of characterization, character-development and intensity. The attraction between hero and heroine is amazingly intense and sensual. The love scenes are highly erotic and tastefully written.

Again the plot is known to the reader but for me that didn't make it less exciting. How everything unfolds at the end was still surprising enough to keep me turning the pages. The suspense plot it a bit less intense and thrilling than in the McCloud books and the focus is less on the suspense in this book but McKenna more than makes up for that with the characters and their intensity. Simon, Ellen and several secondary characters are great, well-rounded characters with lots of depth to them. Their story is carefully told in a fast pace and it's easy to relate to them and their pasts.

So even though this book was less focused on the plot, it was still an amazing read that kept me enthralled. McKenna's writing style is very appealing to me. The way she combines plot, strong well-rounded characters and eroticism is unique in my eyes. The backgrounds and motivations of her characters have a similar theme in all the books but still each book has it's own unique feel because in each one the focus is on a different aspect of the characters or the plot.

Another great story delivered by Shannon McKenna that left me aching for more of her wonderful heroines, her delicious and tormented heroes, her intense love stories and her love scenes that set the pages on fire!

Quotes:
He wore a thin, crumpled, white linen shirt buttoned halfway up his golden chest. His face was shadowed with bad-boy beard stubble. That indecent, give-me-sex-now smile on his face would be more appropriate if he were lounging stark naked in bed.

"You're doing it again El. Your angel act. Sweet and selfless. Sacrificing yourself on the altar of my lust."
"I love the altar of your lust, Simon Riley. I want to drape a nice quilt over it, toss on some pillows and make it into my permanent bed."

Ex-FBI agent Connor McCloud can never forget the day he was set up to die at the hands of trusted friend and fellow agent Ed Riggs. Hard justice and loyalty to his badge have cost Connor what he wants most--Ed's shy, studious daughter, Erin. He can never have her now, but her beauty still haunts and torments his every waking hour and his most fevered erotic dreams. But now that his old enemy, Kurt Novak has returned, Connor is prepared to do anything to protect the vulnerable young woman from a killer who has vowed a brutal payback . . . a killer with a predator's lethal patience.

Erin has been harboring secret fantasies about Connor McCloud since she first laid eyes on him--but that was before his testimony sent her father to jail. Her world is falling apart and it's all she can do to hold her family together. But now Connor is knocking on her door, telling her she needs his protection, whether she wants it or not. He won't give up and he won't stay away. He's sworn to guard her life with his own and his fierce protectiveness awakens long-buried feelings--and a fiery sexuality deep within her soul . . .

The devastation Erin has to deal with after her father's imprisonment would bring anyone to her knees, but not Erin Riggs. After her father is arrested for murder and betrayal she assumes the responsibility for her mother and sister while trying to make something of her life. She has never forgotten Connor McCLoud, the man she fell in love with when she was a young girl, and now he shows up offering his protection against the man who ruined her family.
Since the death of his partner and his own severe injuries Connor McCLoud has been going through the motions of life without consciously living it. The only thing that brings him back to life is the threat on Erin Riggs's life. She is the woman he's loved since she was a teenager and the only woman he's ever cared about and now the man who is responsible for his injuries and his partner’s death threatens her. While trying to protect Erin they can no longer deny the feelings between them and so two star-crossed lovers who find out that even the impossible dreams can come true, although to get to that point they must avoid being trapped by the man plotting the downfall of his enemies, starting with Erin and Connor.

Connor is a true contradiction. He is rude, harsh and bossy one moment and tender protective and gentle the next. But he's a character I enclosed in my heart immediately. He is honorable and tries to do the good thing. Erin is a perfect match for him. Not taking any of his crap when he goes all macho on her.
Erin is very orderly and disciplined and extremely dutiful to her family. She puts their needs above her own. But she is not meek or shy. When necessary she knows when and how to stand her ground. Her feelings for Connor make her lose the tight grip on the life she's created for herself since her father's imprisonment. He triggers the anger and fears she desperately tries to suppress with control and discipline.

The lead couple and their problems are realistic and lifelike. It's very easy to relate to them, to understand where they're coming from, what motivates their actions and this is something I really like in books.
McKenna portrays her characters with all their flaws and insecurities as well as their strong qualities. It's not all fun and loving; they also have arguments and discussions and have to work through them in a very confrontational way. For me this is what makes her characters so great.
And the way she pens down the bad guy in this book...The man is pure evil and seriously disturbed. His methodical, calculating and psychotic behavior scared me in some parts.

Not all the characters are what they seem, or what you're inclined to believe they are at first. There is so much more than meets the eye and this goes for both the lead couple, Connor and Erin, as for a few secondary characters.
And then there are the McCLoud brothers. Three extraordinary men. In the first book I was introduced to them. In this book I got to know them better. Sean is the proverbial pain-in-the-butt younger brother. Always pestering his older siblings. Davy is the proverbial sensible and grounded oldest brother: self-contained, stern and responsible. Both are very intriguing in their own way.
I loved the brotherly banter between the McCLouds. They work together like a well-oiled machine in crisis situations, complementing each other, sticking together and being there for one another when the dirt hits the fan.

This was another breathtaking book. The suspense was killing, the passion was steaming and the characters were compelling! After my first Shannon McKenna book I was pleasantly surprised at her masterful writing. After this one I'm utterly convinced. She knows how to build the suspense by creating such a malevolent and evil character it gave me goose bumps but still she manages to keep it on the good side of repulsion. You just keep on reading and reading. She alternates the suspense with scorching love scenes that are explicit yet not graphic and she tops it of with strong and appealing characters, a well-rounded romance and just the right amount of action.

McKenna's writing entrances and captivates me. Her characters, both main and secondary have a magnetic pull by the way she pens them down. Her strong characterization combined with highly erotic love scenes and thrilling suspense kept my heartbeat at high-speed level.

Quotes
Lip gloss was diabolical stuff, calculated to make a guy think about sex. Moist, lush lips, ready for kissing, for licking, for---

She slid out from under the quilt, slapping his hands away. "I have to take another shower," she said. "You stop that right now, Connor. Be good."
"I'm always good, baby. Want to see?"

EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE . . .
Surveillance expert Seth Mackey knows everything about the women that his millionaire boss toys with--and tosses aside. Raine Cameron is something different. Night after night, Seth watches her on a dozen different video screens. Her vulnerable beauty haunts him and her fresh innocence stirs a white-hot passion that he can barely control. Raine is pure temptation, but Seth has something more important to take care of first. He's convinced that his boss, Victor Lazar, is responsible for his half-brother's murder. He cannot put his secret investigation at risk, but he can't stop wanting her--craving her--and soon he knows he can't let Victor have her. For Raine may be Victor's next victim . . .

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE
Raine knows she's being watched--but no one can see the secrets in her heart. She has reasons of her own to seek revenge on Victor Lazar, and she will, despite her fear--and the distracting presence of Seth Mackey. Though Raine has little experience with men, Seth's fiercely masculine good looks and animal sensuality stir her most erotic fantasies when she's alone . . .and lead her to a bold plan. Offering her body to him, surrending totally to his ruthless desire might well push her beyond all emotional limits--and beyond fear itself.

Once again a, for me, new author has gripped me in her claws and she's not going to let go anytime soon.
I've embarked on the Shannon McKenna tour with the first book of the connected books on the McCloud brothers (BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS, OUT OF CONTROL & EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). Although Seth Mackay isn't a McCloud, his book is part of the series because he works closely with the McClouds to bring down the criminal responsible for Connor McCloud severe injury and the death of Seth's brother. And it is in his book that we get to meet al the McCloud brothers and get a glimpse of what's to come.

Seth Mackey is cold and detached since the murder of his younger brother. His only goal is to destroy the three men responsible for the murder and he nothing will deter him from his goal. At least that's what he thinks until spying on one of the culprits puts Raine Cameron in his path.
Lorraine (Raine) Cameron is after the same men Seth is seeking revenge against. She lost her father to them and is determined bring them to justice. Even if she has to lie and cheat to get close to them.
Together they set out to execute their revenge and they find something that more valuable along the way: love

Shannon McKenna writes amazing characters. Lifelike and unembellished. She shows their strengths but also their weaknesses and flaws. The complete and elaborate picture of the main couple provided lots of background information on them both and the people surrounding them. Another thing she did excellently was giving several characters' points of view. I hadn't even noticed that not much authors do this, J.R. Ward is one that I can come up top of mind right now.
These multiple points of view give the book depth and substance.

Raine was a heroine who at first seems to be in way over her head but she shows some real fiery spirit, giving Seth a run for his money and not accepting his dominating and rude behavior all the time and it takes a strong woman to tame Seth Mackey. The battle of wills between them gives you insight in their characters and their development.

Seth made me shiver and I mean good and breathless shivers. He has the alpha attitude down to a tooth. His controlled savage passion waiting to surface when unleashed by the right woman. Raine is that woman. She slowly penetrates his cold shell and makes him feel vulnerable. Seth is ruthless, both in his quest for vengeance as in his passion and he may come across as rude or a jerk sometimes in the beginning but he has his heart in the right place. His upbringing and losing everyone he has ever dared to love makes him lash out at people, even at Raine sometimes but he does care deeply for her and would do anything to keep her save.

The secondary characters are intriguing to say the least. McKenna even manages to give one of the alleged bad guys a human side and really make it believable. Connor McLoud and his brother give the book that little bit extra and they also provide the bantering I love in my books...Connor McLoud is a very interesting secondary character and I'm looking forward to his story.

And then there is the plot. Like the characters the plot is excellently written. The reader has more knowledge/information than the characters and normally this endangers the unpredictable twists but McKenna manages to keep the suspense at an amazing high.
It's quite an erotic book but it wasn't the eroticism that kept me enthralled. It was the plot and the characterization. Seeing Seth push aside his coldness and distrust. Seeing Raine develop from a shy, timid woman into a strong one who knows what she wants and goes for it. Those were the things that got to me and made the book a keeper in my eyes. The love scenes are abundant but not annoyingly so. They weren't written to fill the pages but they underlined the development of the characters. Taking the characters' newfound insight in themselves to the bedroom also. They were very intense and sometimes Seth would really touch the boundaries of dominance and manipulation but again well done by McKenna because Raine would pull the brake and put Seth in his place.

McKenna kept me glued to the pages with Seth, Raine, a plot that was original and surprising in all its aspects and she topped it of with some scorching love scenes.

Quote:
She wanted to writhe against him, crawl inside his skin, touch everything, taste everything. He was so strong, bursting with fierce energy, and she ached with hunger for it.